n

n

n

n

nAs Howard and the others began gathering their gear for the assessment, various pieces of Legendary-grade and Diamond-grade equipment were brought forth.

nInterestingly, the Diamond-grade equipment emerged exclusively from Mike and Nick’s packs.

nThis very detail further solidified the notion in Mike and Nick’s minds: Howard must indeed have ties with Daniel. Otherwise, even within the elite families, one wouldn’t possess low-level Legendary-grade and Epic-grade equipment!

nIn truth, the might of the top-tier families shouldn’t be underestimated.

nThey have access to even Mythical-grade equipment.

nSome clans, with legacies spanning nearly a millennium, are even known to possess Supreme Artifacts and Transcendent Sacred Artifacts.

nOn several occasions, when the Alliance was on the brink of being overrun by foreign races and demons, it was the ancestral figures of these major families who stepped forward, wielding these formidable relics to fend off the adversaries.

nHowever, while these families are undoubtedly powerful, the high-tier equipment they possess tends to be of a higher level, mostly above LV80.

nAs for low-level gear, they might at best produce Platinum-grade and Diamond-grade equipment.

nOnly within the premier academies do we find low-level Legendary-grade and Epic-grade equipment.

nFrom this, one can gauge the astounding potential Howard possesses.

nIn terms of low-level equipment alone, what he has access to surpasses even the prodigies of the major families!

n“Speaking of which!” Mike suddenly interjected, “Have you heard? There’s someone from the Jano Province who has had an S-level Talent Awakening. I wonder how strong she is! My father told me I have to outshine her if I want to gain the full support and training from Holy Abyss Academy.”

nBeing both from the S-level Talent Awakening, the academy would naturally prefer to nurture someone from their own Province.

nAfter all, after investing so much in a student’s training, it would be a waste if they just returned to their home province.

nHence, even though Mike himself had an S-level awakening, he still feared that he might not get the needed resources.

nNick mused, “I truly envy you guys, possessing such innate talents! My father mentioned that across the entire Alliance, only seventeen individuals awakened an S-level talent this year. Of them, six were personally taken as disciples by the Alliance’s mighty figures. Of the remaining eleven, seven were admitted to Holy Abyss Academy, and the other four made it to Divine Dragon Academy.”

nPausing for a moment, Nick continued, “If you’re aiming for the academy’s full backing, the competition is fierce. You have to contend with six other individuals. And remember, every batch at Holy Abyss Academy has its own S-level talents! But don’t fret. We’re dorm mates after all. I’ll surely have your back.”

n“Indeed,” Howard chimed in with a smile, “I happen to know that S-level talent awaken from the Jano Province. We’re on good terms. We can form an alliance and compete against the other S-level talent awakenings.”

nAlthough Howard’s own awakening was at the F-level, he had gleaned from Daniel’s actions that the academy’s top brass valued actual performance.

nTalent was just a part of the equation.

nHence, he too had every right to vie for resources.

nIt was rightfully his due. Why shouldn’t he stake his claim?

n“Oh? You’re close with her? Then an alliance seems in order!” Mike laughed, “Two against five is certainly better than one against six. For tomorrow’s test, we can team up. I’ve also brought three SS-level skill scrolls with me. Once activated, they will unleash SS-level skills, ensuring our safety.”

n“I have a special item, the Chain of Vitality,” Nick chimed in. “Once connected, any damage we endure will be evenly distributed amongst us, preventing any instantaneous defeats. As long as we survive, everything else can be managed.”

nHearing this, the corners of Howard’s mouth twitched upwards. Participating in an assessment alongside heirs of affluence did have its perks.

nHowever, he also felt the need to throw in his lot, further deepening Mike and Nick’s misconceptions about him.

nWith that in mind, Howard quickly added, “An elder gave me an SSS-level skill scroll. No matter the danger, it can ensure our safety.”

nIn truth, Howard had never even seen a skill scroll. He’d only heard that activating such a scroll would automatically deploy the enclosed skill.

nGiven that Mike mentioned having an SS-level skill scroll, it was highly probable that SSS-level skill scrolls existed too.

nHoward wasn’t overly concerned about his bluff being called out.

n“Hiss…”

n“You brought an SSS-level skill scroll with you?”

n“Howard, does your family head value you this much?”

n“My God, an SSS-level skill is almost on par with a Forbidden Incantation. And it’s in your possession!”

nMike and Nick immediately grew anxious, urging, “If we run into danger and are still alive, don’t ever activate that SSS-level skill scroll. It could potentially disrupt the entire Valley of Fierce Winds!”

nNoticing the tension in Mike and Nick, a realization dawned on Howard about the potency of the SSS-level skill.

nHowever, keen to make an impression, he responded, “Don’t worry. The skill is named Annihilation of the Tempest Goddess. I can control its target; nothing will go awry.”

n“Annihilation of the Tempest Goddess? I feel like I’ve heard that name before,” Mike pondered deeply, then suddenly exclaimed, “My God, isn’t that a skill from the Sylvan family? They hold the secrets to the Anemo Forbidden Incantation. Every Anemo magus wanting to comprehend the Forbidden Incantation has to sign a contract with them. Even if they achieve understanding on their own, they can’t share it with others!”

n“To think the skill scroll you possess comes from the Sylvan family. This puts my mind at ease.”

nHearing Mike’s comments, Nick chuckled, “It seems, with this test ahead, our team is bound to come out on top.”

nAt that, Howard couldn’t help but roll his eyes, amused that his little show-off had only boosted their confidence.

nOf course, Howard was set on striving for first place, knowing that the ranking in this assessment would correlate with the resources he’d receive in the future.

nWhile talent might set the ceiling of one’s abilities, resources certainly establish the floor.

nWithout proper resources, even the most exceptional talents might not fully flourish.

nWith preparations complete, the three young teenagers began to chat.

nIt’s worth noting how pure-hearted boys of this age can be.

nWithin just half an hour, Howard had deftly extracted information about their families.

nHe even persuaded the two to swear brotherhood, with him as the elder brother.

nSubsequently, filled with excitement, the na?ve youths, Nick and Mike, drifted into deep slumber. 𝑖𝘳.𝒸ℴ𝑚

nAs Howard lay in bed, his mind became increasingly active, “Mr. Wales is the accompanying mentor for this journey. I must seize this opportunity to gather intel. At the very least, I need to discern whether he’s friend or foe.”

nAs Howard slowly drifted off to sleep, a series of purple patterns once again emerged on his forehead, exuding an aura both regal and eerily enchanting.

n…

nThe next day, Howard was once again roused by Nick and Mike’s excited shouts. “Big bro, time to get up!”

nThis time, Howard sensed something was amiss.

nHistorically, he’d rarely indulged in sleeping late. Why had he been so groggy these past mornings?

nMoreover, each time he awoke, he felt as if he’d just survived a grueling battle, utterly drained.

nHowever, with the assembly time fast approaching, Howard didn’t dwell on it.

nAfter a quick wash and brush up, he joined Nick and Mike, heading to the training grounds.

nAs they entered, Abby, graceful as a butterfly, darted straight into Howard’s arms.

nThis unexpected display immediately drew the attention of the vast majority of the new students.

nYou see, having recently arrived at Holy Abyss Academy, the pressing unfamiliarity rendered many of them reserved.

nTo suddenly witness a stunning beauty openly embrace another student, especially in front of their mentors, naturally evoked astonishment and envy.

nYet, they seemed to forget, this was the Advanced Academy where mentors generally held no concerns about interpersonal relationships among the students.

nWales, Jack, and Tara, the three mentors, merely cast a glance at Howard and Abby before resuming their hushed conversations. .

nThe nature of their discussions remained a mystery to the students. These young novices, ungoverned by their mentors, naturally converged, standing quietly below the stage.

nUntil a sharp, piercing cry echoed.

nAt the sudden shrill call, even Howard was taken aback.

nMany students lifted their eyes, and astonishingly, saw a flock of Dragonhawks, each with long trailing tails, descending from the sky, landing on the opposite side of the field.

n“Dragonhawks, LV70 raptors that can be tamed as flying mounts!”

n“Only at Holy Abyss Academy would you find so many of these creatures.”

n“Look, the one leading them has an exceptionally long tail; that’s the symbol of a Dragonhawk leader!”

nThe flurry of comments from the students shattered the previously silent ambiance.

nOnly a handful seemed unimpressed by the Dragonhawks, still scouting for potential teammates.

nHoward, pulling Abby close and joining their two roommates, caused quite the stir when they learned that Abby was the only S-level Talent Awakening from the Jano Province.

nTheir astonishment only grew, solidifying their internal speculations about Howard.

nAs for Howard’s claim of being an F-level talent, they didn’t buy it for a second!

nWhat a joke!

nHow could someone with an S-level Talent Awakening fancy someone with an F-level Talent Awakening?

nUpdated from 𝑖𝘦.𝒸𝘰𝘮

n